Butt-hinge.



R. R. LEEDS.

BUTT HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED BBPT.25,1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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ROBERT R. LEEDS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT. 1

BUTT-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1?, 1912.

To all whom 2'23 may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r R. Lnnos, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Butt-Hinges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

lily invention relates to improvements in butts and hinges, and particularly to an improved detachable means for hiding the screw heads by which such devices are secured in operative position.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown the invention as applied to a conventional form of hinge butt, so-called, and in said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a butt with the two leaves opened up, the scalp covering for one leaf being removed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the butt shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a relatively enlarged central horizontal section of my improved butt. Fig. 4 is a view of the rear side of a removable scalp or screw covering.

The hinge butt shown comprises two leaves 1 and 2 pivotally connected in the usual manner as by a pin 3. Each leaf may be provided with the usual screw holes to enable the hinge to be secured in place by the use of ordinary wood screws or equivalent fastening devices.

a 5 are what are termed scalps, the outline of which corresponds to the exposed faces of the hinge leaves, each scalp being detachably secured to its respective hinge leaf in such a manner as to furnish an attractive finishing plate entirely covering and hiding the screw fastenings. means for securing each scalp in place comprises a ball and socket fastening which is uniquely applied to the parts in such a manner as to in no way add to the bulk or size of the hinge, and also in such a manner that the usual application of the hinge will not be interfered with in the slightest.

In the preferred embodiment, the socket (one of which will be described) comprises the base 6 ordinarily of disk-shaped out line. From this base and projecting forwardly are a series of spring fingers 77 which form a contracted passage, the walls of which (formed by said fingers) yield to pressure.

8 is the ball element of suitable contour The therethrough, whereupon said fingers contract and hold the ball, and thereby the scalp, securely in place. The hinge leaf is bored partially throughout the rear and the front, the bore; at the rear forming a pocket to receive the base .6, as shown in Fig. 3,

the bore at the front affording room for the curled over ends of the fingers 77.

9 is a small washer plat-e having an annular corrugation around its inner edge around which the ends of the fingers 7 are curled. By boring the hinge leaf in the aforesaid manner, a comparatively thin annular wall is provided, on the opposite sides of which rest the base 6 and the washer 9 so that when the socket element of the fastening means is in place, it will be securely held ready to receive the ball element 8 of the fastener. Any desired number of these ball and socket fastening clevices may be employed, depending upon the particular size and shape of the hinge leaf and scalp. In this particular instance, I have shown each hinge leaf provided with three sockets, and each scalp provided with a corresponding number of cooperating balls.

10 is a small recess formed in one edge of each hinge leaf close to the pivot portion, since, when the hinge is in place, that part of the hinge leaf projects beyond the door or door casing and is accessible. This notch or recess 10 is provided to facilitate the ready entrance of a pointed instrument by which the scalp may be readily plied off when it is desired to remove the same and gain access to the fastening screws. Obviously it is immaterial whether this notch or recess 10 is formed in the main body of the hinge leaf or in the scalp portion. While it is preferred to provide the aforesaid notch or recess 10, the invention should not be limited thereto because a sufficiently sharp or thin-edged tool might be inserted between the scalp and the hinge leaf even though no entrance notch were provided. Of course the scalp may be varied in outline and may be either smooth or ornamented as desired, it being essentially a finishing plate. The hinge leaves 1 and 2 are ordinarily made of such a thickness that the thickness thereof plus the thickness of the scalps Will equal the desired full thickness of the leaves so that the faces of both leaves will properly abut in the customary manner when the hinge is closed.

What I claim is:

1. In. a hinge or butt, a leaf, a removable scalp for the exposed face of the same, and a ball and socket fastening carried by said scalp and said hinge leaf for detachably securing said scalp in place.

2. In a hinge or butt, a leaf, a removable scalp for the exposed face of the same, and a ball and socket fastening for detachably securing said scalp in place, the socket portion of said ball and socket fastening being carried by the hinge leaf, the ball portion being carried by the scalp.

3. In a hinge or butt, a leaf, a removable scalp for the exposed face of the same, and a 4:. In a hinge or butt, a leaf, a removable scalp for the exposed face of the same, and a ball and socket fastening for detachably securing said scalp in place, the socket portion of said ball and socket fastening being can ried by the hinge leaf, the ball portion being carried by the scalp, the hinge leaf being recessed to form a socket-receiving space below the surface of the hinge leaf, the recess being formed partially in the front Wall and partially in the back Wall of the hinge leaf.

ROBERT R. LEEDS. Witnesses:

HENRY G. VoIGI-I'r, M. S. WIARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

